I just downloaded some energy data from data.gov on nuclear reactors and one of the columns is:

"NRC Unit"

I have no idea what that means? Every column or field of data should have a definition and that should be available on data.gov or in a standard format with the dataset. In this case, the data dictionary field that the catalog record links to does not have the definition of this field.

Voting

An API to provide customizable RSS feeds should be considered, to allow users to subscribe to specific thematic areas, geographic areas and so on. This way, if for example someone was interested in data on aquatic resources in the Chesapeake Bay, they could subscribe and apply filters by custom search terms, by geography of interest, thematic keywords and so on.
This could either provide notices via e-mail, or by
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Voting

While there are quite a few discussions on this site about search; I would like to see improved browsing via a robust taxonomy/folksonomy of topic areas. In fact, I would recommend both a top-down/bottom-up approach where you begin with a top-down taxonomy but allow it to be extended via topic area suggestions and popular keywords.
As a citizen, I don't always know what I want but want to browse and see what is available.
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Voting

Require agencies to submit datasets in standard format with common metadata fields, including short and long descriptions to improve user understanding of data-set.
Create a user interface that enables users to easily graph multiple time-series data sets (simple trend graphs). This will let them visually compare different data sets on relative scales.
By aggregating all government data into a standard format and enabling
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Voting

In addition to providing Agency metadata and facilitating informed discovery of datasets, there may be a good role for Data.Gov to serve in also serving as a clearinghouse for discovering and facilitating access to datacentric agency web services, e.g. Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS). In many instances, these types of services may lie scattered across and within agencies,
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There's no question that open data can provide citizens with more information and transparency about how government is operating and the results it's getting. But that's only half of the equation: We believe that open data produces not just more informed citizens, but also, ultimately, better government. To make that equation come true, though, we have to be vigilant about tracking how people are using data, and incorporating
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Voting

Geographic referencing adds critical context to data. It helps users quickly and easily determine whether a dataset pertains to their specific area of interest, and in the event that it does, empowers users by immediately allowing them to visualize that data, perhaps coupled with addtional datasets for informing context. Both Geospatial One Stop and Data.gov are citizen centric initiatives. Migrating and consolidating
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Voting

It would be helpful if there were some standard formats for the data sets that are posted on data.gov. It would make it easier to create mashups and to integrate data across data sets. In addition, standards for key fields are needed.

Voting

Have Data.gov serve as a platform for serving national data. In addition to serving as a catalog, provide actual data hosting capability, e.g. hosting national framework data layers to support a wide variety of mapping (ala The National Map).
Additionally, this may be of particular value to support collaborative and cross-agency efforts such as Imagery For The Nation – Imagery For The Nation (IFTN) is an attempt to
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Voting

Post the download link in a more obvious spot or make it more obvious. At first glance it blends into the webpage. I want to see the download button be big and obvious because that’s what I’m immediately looking for when I get to that page.

Voting

In addition to the search options currently on data.gov and the spatial search capabilities discussed in other ideas, I suggest considering a third alternative: ask-a-friend. Like any forum, I post a question (for a specific dataset/service) and other users of the site may help me by pointing me to it. I could share my favorite (bookmarked) datasets with others or browse through their bookmarks to find data someone found
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Voting

When searching for interesting datasets it can be very frustrating to see identical datasets (except by year) cluttering the search results. To me, this seems like just an attempt to inflate the counts by treating separate years or geography as separate datasets.
Here is my proposed simple rule:
If the dataset metadata fields (i.e. like "Coverage Date") are the same, it is the SAME dataset. Just because the instance
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Voting

I would like to recommend that the Data.gov dashboard be developed (aligned) with the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Business Reference Model (BRM) and Service Component Reference Model (SRM).
The BRM provides a view of the federal government’s core lines of business (the products and services it delivers to its citizens, the private sector, and other government agencies), and the SRM classifies the internal
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Voting

Data.gov would be more usable if there was not so many entries on the catalog search page taken up by one dataset which is divided up geographically. A single row in the search results which indicated the geographical divisions of the data and allowed the user to drill down to the geographic specific files would make data.gov more usable. Similarly, different versions of a dataset release on different dates (such those
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Voting

Provide basic capability toward data enhancement/manipulation/packaging -
Here, the idea would be to provide reusable infrastructure that can be used by data stewards for data enhancement, and potentially conversion and packaging.
Sample use case: Data steward uploads an Excel spreadsheet containing his data, which also includes addresses and - and then uses tools provisioned by Data.gov to geocode the dataset to
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Voting

Data sets should be extensible or flexible, similar to the characteristics of XBRL or RDF/OWL, rather than fixed schemas. This flexibility allows the data sets to evolve, it allows others to connect additional information to existing information. The notion of "linked data" as used by the Semantic Web people.
Both XBRL and RDF/OWL are modeled as graphs which are extremely flexible. Combine these graphs with the
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Voting

This entry is a consensus recommendation of seven organizations that work on government transparency of which OpenTheGovernment.org is one.
Some of the currently posted files are quite large, ranging upward to several hundred megabytes. Their large size undermines their usefulness for most people or organizations. The large number of currently posted datasets also makes it difficult to find a particular database of
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Voting

I tried to download a dataset that interested me called the "Occupational Outlook Handbook". The data.gov "record" says that it is a CSV dataset. However, when you click the csv link you go to a website that does not allow you to download the dataset!
The data.gov link is: http://www.data.gov/details/336
This is a failure of the simplest validation possible - a link that is supposed to be to a dataset must be tested
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Voting

Multiple agencies will have need for capability that enables the aggregation of data sets identified within Data.Gov. Data.Gov can be an excellent tool for linking data from separate owners (or in some cases a single owner) that conform to a consistent standard that can be used individually or combined to form a broader data set.

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